Raya Lyonall
Common Statistics Race: '''Human '''Age: '''Late 20s '''Height: '''5' 5" '''Weight: '''160 lb '''Hair: '''Raven black '''Skin Tone: '''Darkly tanned '''Skin Texture: Smooth, though a few faint wrinkles show at the corners of her eyes. There are remarkably few scars on her body, largely thanks to the healing powers given by her deity. Eye Color: '''Grey-blue '''Accent: '''Dalelands, educated. Occasional hints of Border Kingdoms accent for those who can distinguish it. '''Home Region: Border Kingdoms Recognizable Features: '''Though usually hidden, a large sunrise is tattooed between her shoulderblades, with rays of the sun extending up her neck. The sun seems to be bleeding. '''Spoken Languages: '''Common '''Left or Right Handed: '''Right '''Deity: '''Publicy devoted to Lathander, privately worships Bane '''Class: '''Cleric '''Domains: Hatred, Tyranny Alignment: Neutral Evil, but favors law over chaos Relatives: ''Jaya Lyonall'' (Sister - Presumed deceased. Cause of Death: Great Betrayal) Aerick Lyonall (Father - Deceased. Cause of Death: Old age) Gwendaelyn Lyonall (Mother -Deceased. Cause of Death: Unknown sickness) Awards, Titles, and Honors: Awakened of Lathander (rank never officially revoked), Deadly Adept of Bane, Yulashi Councilor of Defense (title irrelevant - nation of Yulash destroyed), Mistriven Medal of Merit (Battle of the First Snow, Year of the Starving) Ability Scores Strength (15):' '''Physically strong, mostly in the upper body as a result of frequent battles. Dexterity (12):' Light on her feet, though not a dancer by any means. Constitution (10): Of average hardiness. Intelligence (12): A decently quick thinker, and well-educated. Wisdom (18): Very insightful and strong-willed - some say stubborn. Charisma (12): Capable of being personable, when she chooses. ''General Character Information'' '''Fighting Style: Strong defense. Raya utilizes a large shield and morningstar in combat, using the flexibility of the morningstar to strike at her opponents while remaining protected by the shield. When facing especially difficult foes, Raya will abandon the morningstar altogether, focusing entirely on defense while calling on the strength of her deity to smite her foe directly. Raya's combat effectiveness depends largely on her preparedness: A foe who catches her when she is not protected by the blessings of her god will find her a much easier target. Notable Skills: Lore - An avid reader, Raya has picked up a fair amount of information about supernatural forces. Growing up as a novice in Lathander's service, she is well-versed in the customs of that religion, and also made a study of undead (which she has pursued even more fervently since Zhengyi's rise). She has also studied the lore of celestials, particularly those who have been tempted or fallen, and thus knows a fair bit about celestials and their devilish and demonic counterparts. As a Banite, Raya is familiar with most of the customs of Bane clergy as well (though her long separation from the church means she is somewhat rusty on the more esoteric bits of knowledge that an average Banite might possess. Finally, as an adventurer, Raya has picked up the usual scattering of lore regarding common (and less common) magical artifacts. Raya's weakest area is the lore specific to the Northlands - history, local nations, legends, important persons and so on. These topics she know of largely through rumor and hearsay, though she was able to expand on her knowledge slightly during her time as a councilor. (Effectively has knowledge in the following areas, in order of most knowledge to least: Religion, the planes, dungeoneering, arcana, local, geography) Concentration - Raya has long honed her focus, to the point that she can retain concentration even when in great pain or under pressure. Persuade - While Raya is used to getting her way, she acknowledges that occasionally imposing her will requires persuasion rather than blunt force. Her insight often helps her in choosing the most effective argument for her audience. Weapon & Armor Crafting - While not a master smith my any means, Raya is capable of performing basic repairs of her own arms and armor. Notable Feats: Blind Fight - Years fighting in dimly-lit dungeons or against enemies that are only partly there have helped Raya become much less dependent on sight in a battle. Empower Spell - Always a proponent of the blunt force approach when it is practical, Raya has learned to focus additional strength into her Lord's blessings, making them particularly effective or devastating. Favored Spells: Raya's memorized blessings depend largely on the situation she finds herself in, but a select few are always prepared and ready to be cast at a moment's notice. Undetectable Alignment - As a Banite who masquerades as a novice of Lathander, the ability to hide the inner workings of her heart is essential. This blessing is in effect on Raya almost constantly. Slay Living - Ever since wrenching the soul from a high-profile enemy of Bane, Raya has had a fondness for this spell, and usually has at least one use of it ready at any time. Thousand Needles - While she's never had the opportunity to use this spell, she frequently daydreams of doing so. Harm - Raya has always had an affinity with this spell, gladly channeling all her hatred into a single, devastating magical strike against an enemy. Appearance Raya is no dainty flower - her build is closer to that of an old oak tree. Her body is in excellent shape, but the amount of muscle makes her look sturdy rather than slim. Those who are familiar with the region might guess that she is from Calimshan - her dark complexion and black hair suggests a southern origin. Deep set and shadowed eyes, combined with her skin tone, conspire to give her a rather brooding look. Her hair is a true raven black, as opposed to an extremely dark brown, and is generally pulled back in a simple warrior's ponytail. If she has been adventuring for any length of time, her hair will often also contain leaves, twigs, blood, and bone fragments. Raya's dress tends towards the simple and modest, and she wears neither jewelry nor makeup. Her clothing is generally darkly colored in greens, blacks, or greys, though it often also has golden highlights. Her distinctive armor is black with golden accents and spiked shoulders. Personality Raya is a brooding woman with a dark, occasionally unpleasant sense of humor - the current situation gives her frequent cause for laughter. She can be either patient or not, as the situation calls for, but she is above all a woman of action: When an adventuring group stalls on deciding the next course of action, Raya will often choose and continue without waiting for the usual consensus. While she is more comfortable in the role of follower, Raya is not afraid to lead if necessary, and will often come to dominate a group of more hesitant adventurers. Relationships Raya maintains at least a cordial relationship with most noteworthy adventurers of Mistriven Falls. While Raya's true friends (if she has any) are few and far between, she has developed several close relationships while pretending to follow Lathander. Important relationships include: Elle Menson: Elle and Raya have long been friends, despite their greatly differing personalities. When in Elle's presence publicly, Raya tends to defer to her, generally supporting her decisions and pushing Elle to be in charge of the situation despite any reluctance the seamstress might have. Arcturus Menson: While Raya was publicly hostile to Arcturus (one of the few open followers of Bane amongst the adventuring population), their private relationship was far more complex. Despite the fact that Raya does, strictly speaking, rank above Arcturus, his long years and many accomplishments in Bane's service often resulted in her listening to him, rather than the other way around. Rosalinde O'Madain: 'Another of Raya's oldest "friends," Raya and Rosa joined the Council of Yulash together. Raya has long planned to turn Rosa to Bane, given half a chance. 'Noc Wylan Amilcnam: While Raya and Noc do not always get along (the two can often be seen bickering), they work well together and often agree on the best course of action. However, Raya has little patience for Noc's gloomier moods, and she carries a grudge left over remembering the time he stabbed her. Cerin Te'les: There are few adventurers for whom Raya has more respect. While Raya and Cerin are hardly close friends, they are certainly allies in the fight against Zhengyi, often sharing information and plans. Tezrakk / Kreignar: Raya is torn between hatred and respect for Tezrakk. While her dominant personality often clashes with his, she cannot deny his strength, and she greatly values his ruthlessness and willingness to do what others consider immoral. His current position as a mercenary suits Raya well, and she considers him to be her final solution to any problem that might crop up. Baron Reese Darkthorne: As former High Priest of Bane in Yulash, Baron Darkthorne was once Raya's immediate superior. Now that he has renounced Bane and hunted down many of Bane's priests, relations between the two are somewhat tense. However, Raya and the Baron continue to work together against Zhengyi. Their motives for tolerating each other are known only to them. Grigory Zarkaeen: The first non-Banite in the Moonsea to learn of Raya's true affiliation, Grigory has been Raya's friend, confidant, and rival ever since they met in Highmoon. Jaya Lyonall: Raya's attitude towards her sister is based on both hatred and love. Raya has come to pity Jaya's naïveté, and desires above all to turn her sister to Bane. She believes that tearing Jaya away from Lathander's grace would both punish Jaya for exiling her, and reunite the two. Jaya's death in the Great Betrayal enraged Raya because it took both her opportunity for revenge and her only remaining family member from her. If it meant having Jaya back, Raya would do almost anything. Background Homeland Background: The Border Kingdoms are constantly in a state of unrest as various dictators, tyrants, and heroes fight for control of the region. Kingdoms rise and fall in a matter of weeks or months, while the inhabitants of the Kingdoms try to get on with their lives as best they can. The Childhood Years: Raya was born into the small (Pop. 40) farming community of Sdel, on the southern shore of the Lake of Steam. Raya's father Aerick was, like most in the hamlet, a farmer. Her mother, Gwendaelyn, was the town's head (and only) priestess, a follower of Lathander who retired from her (rather unsuccessful) adventuring career. Raya was Aerick and Gwendaelyn's second child - their first, Jaya, shared their mother's golden hair, while Raya favored her father's darker looks. Growing up, Raya continually followed in Jaya's shadow, becoming an apprentice in Lathander's service four years after her sister. While the two were competitive, relations between them were generally friendly. When Raya was twelve and Jaya sixteen, their mother died from a wasting sickness. Shortly after, a priest of Lathander arrived to raise the talented Jaya to the status of full priestess. The Teenage Years: With Jaya now head priest of Sdel and Raya's instructor, life continued much as it had. The armies of various warlords continued to ravage the lands around Sdel, but this had been the case as long as anyone could remember. Occasionally a field would be trampled or stripped bare, or young men would be forced to join the tyrant-of-the-month's army, but the people of Sdel bore this with their usual forbearance. Raya, however, still grieving the death of her mother and chafing under the tutelage of her sister, found the situation (and the calm patience with which Jaya and the other villagers accepted it) unbearable. At the age of fifteen, Raya was sent a dream of a land at peace, under a single, strong power - the iron fist of Bane. Raya soon devoted herself to the Black Hand, with the hope that she might one day bringing unity, strength, and peace to her homeland. So it was for two years - Raya continued her apprenticeship under Jaya, but the growing bitterness and anger in her heart prevented her from ever being raised to the status of full priest, and Jaya grew suspicious that Raya no longer served Lathander. Events came to a head in Raya's seventeenth year, when Jaya followed her to a secret shrine Raya had constructed in an abandoned cellar. The confrontation between the sisters lead to Raya's exile, with the villagers close on her trail. For two years, Raya wandered northwards, following stories of a Banite stronghold in the far-off Dales. She swore revenge - both against her sister, and against the people of Sdel who cast her out. She would return one day at the head of a Zhentarim army, and conquer the Border Kingdoms in the name of Bane. The Year in Highmoon: At the age of nineteen, Raya arrived in the Daleland city of Highmoon. Exhausted from her travels and seeking new rumors, Raya decided to remain for a time. It was at this point in her life that she met Arcturus Menson and his bride-to-be, Elle. Arcturus took her under his wing and for several months Raya honed the strength given by her Lord and the skills she had picked up in travel. However, Highmoon was not a city where a Banite can openly worship, so after several months Raya departed for Zhentil Keep. The Lost Years: Few know where Raya went in the two years between her disappearance from Highmoon and reappearance in Yulash. She traveled first to Zhentil Keep, where she formally made her vows to Bane and was at last officially recognized into his priesthood. She rose quickly, soon attaining the rank of Watchful Sister. After a year serving the Keep, Raya was assigned to a minor backwater temple of Lathander, where she used her knowledge of that faith to masquerade under an assumed name as an Awakened, the novitiate rank of the clergy. There Raya learned to perfect her disguise, while at the same time studying the weaknesses and strengths of Lathander's priests. At the end of the year she disappeared in the night, first defiling the temple's altar by sacrificing one of the altar boys to Bane. The Year in Yulash: Now fully devoted to Bane, Raya was assigned to the city of Yulash, under the command of Vigilant Death Reese Darkthorne. Still maintaining her disguise as a novice in the church of Lathander, Raya soon became a well-known member of Yulash's adventuring community. Reuniting privately with Arcturus Menson, and publicly with his wife Elle, Raya was quickly accepted by both the lighter and darker sides of Yulash. Her connection to the temple of Bane soon got her a place on Yulash's ruling council, as advisor to High Councilor Berry on matters of religion. After Berry's assassination, Raya's friendship with the newly-appointed High Councilor Elle paid off, earning Raya the position of Councilor of Defense. Notable acts during this time include the theft of a gnomish airship in an attempt to stir up tension between Maiden's Loss and Hillsfar, the defense of the Yulash from the orcish invasion, assisting in the capture of the Flying Fortress for the Zhentarim, defending the Zhent-controlled Dagger Falls from freedom fighters and personally killing the rebel leader Randal Morn in the process, and investigations into the Mist after the Great Betrayal. Several months before the fall of Yulash, Raya was secretly evacuated along with the rest of the Banites, ending up in the community of Fellhurst. When Reese Darkthorne turned against Bane, Raya was once of those who escaped his initial purge, fleeing into the mist. Six years later, she emerged within sight of the walls of Mistriven. Timeline 1349 - Jaya Lyonall, golden-haired jewel of the Lyonall family, is born to Aerick and Gwendaelyn. 1353 - Raya Lyonall, dark-haired second daughter, is born to Aerick and Gwendaelyn. 1365 - Gwendaelyn Lyonall dies of a wasting sickness. Jaya Lyonall replaces her as head priestess. 1368 - Raya receives dreams of peace and power, resulting in her conversion to Bane. 1370 - Raya's shrine to Bane is discovered, and she is subsequently exiled, wandering northwards in search of other Banites. 1374 - Raya arrives in Highmoon and is taken under Arcturus' wing. She departs several months later. 1375 - Raya formally joins the clergy of Bane, rising to the rank of Watchful Sister. 1376 - Raya arrives in Yulash. The following events took place (in roughly this order) over the course of her year there: *Vigilant Death Reese Darkthorne uses his influence to get Raya a position on the Council of Yulash, as the city's religious advisor. *Raya and several other followers of Bane assist in crushing resistance to Zhentarim forces around Dagger Falls. The leader of the resistance is slain by Raya, earning her a promotion to the rank of Willing Whip. *The half-orc guards of Yulash betray the city, siding with an orcish invasion force. The temple of Bane temporarily takes over guard duty. *High Priestess Chalava Godgift performs the miracle of the Second Sun. Followers of Lathander, including Jaya Lyonall, come from all over the world to witness it. *The Great Betrayal: Chalava Godgift brings the Second Sun crashing down on the assembled followers of Lathander, revealing herself as an imposter. Rumors report that a voice declaring the return of Orcus was heard. Jaya Lyonall is killed. Shortly after, the Mists are spotted for the first time. *High Councilor Berry of Yulash is assassinated. Elle Menson takes over as High Councilor, and Raya becomes Councilor of Defense. *Arcturus Menson, mercenary Karis Geiger, Wylin Maidenshealer, and Raya Lyonall (disguised as a Banite priestess) capture a flying mountain fortress which is then given taken into the possession of Zhentil Keep. Raya reaches the rank of Deadly Adept. *The corrupted spirit of Jaya Lyonall gifts Raya with immortality. *Various spirits, diviners, and fortune tellers announce the Time of Judgement. Prominent adventurers are frequently whisked away to a Void Space, where they are tested. Raya Lyonall, alternated tormented and aided by Jaya's spirit, becomes used as a mouthpiece for the forces of judgement. *Raya Lyonall is evacuated in secret, along with the rest of the temple of Bane. 1377 - Raya flees the city of Fellhurst after Reese Darkthorne abandons Bane and begins purging Banite faithful from the city. This leads to several years of wandering in the Mists. During this time, the source of Raya's immortality (an eternally beating heart) is lost. 1381 - Raya emerges from the Mists within sight of Mistriven Falls, with only fuzzy memories of the last five years. TThe following events have taken place (in roughly this order) since her arrival: *Raya hears rumors that Jaya Lyonall is alive and looking for her. After obtaining an artifact of Lathander for Baron Darkthorne, the two forge an uneasy truce. The Baron tells Raya that Jaya served him before disappearing several years earlier. Whether she is still alive is unknown to him, but if she is, she is held by Zhengyi's forces. *Raya, Cerin, Cadius, Kashir, Dawn, Ben and Hitomi stage a daring raid on Zhengyi's Necropolis, rescuing Cerin's double. Raya's private hopes of finding Jaya within the Necropolis come to nothing.\ *Raya receives a Shield of the Dawn, and corrupts it in a black ritual involving the sacrifice of children. The Shield of the Black Hand is forged. *The Battle of the First Snow: Zhengyi's forces raid Mistriven, killing many and making off with dozens of powerful artifacts. Raya recieves a Medal of Merit for her part in the battle, and the morningstar Rising Morgenstern is crafted for her. Important Items, and Lore Shield of the Black Hand: Once a holy artifact of Lathander, a dark ritual corrupted this shield to the service of Bane. Rising Morgenstern: A morningstar crafted for Raya by Mistriven's master smith as a reward for the part she played in the Battle of the First Snow. The spiked head burns constantly, and the weapon is especially good at destroying Zhengyi's undead forces. The Ever-Beating Heart (Lost during her time in the Mist): A human heart that beats eternally, Raya believes the twisted spirit of her sister gave her this, after Jaya's presumed death in the Great Betrayal. Why it was given to her, Raya has yet to learn. She is constantly on the lookout for anything that might lead her to the Heart. During the months in which Raya possessed the Heart she discovered that so long as it was in her possession she was effectively immortal, and could recover from even mortal wounds (and on one occasion, getting blasted apart) given enough time. The Bleeding Sun Tattoo: The original tattoo, simply the symbol of Lathander, was inked into her back on her tenth birthday, when she joined the church of Lathander as an apprentice. Raya had the blood added during her travels immediately following her exile from her home, symbolizing her desire to make the church of Lathander itself suffer. Deadly Adept: As a Deadly Adept in the church of Bane, Raya ranks above the following: Willing Whips, Watchful Brothers/Sisters, Trusted Servants, Servants, and Wretched Slaves. She ranks below the following: Hooded Menaces, Black Fangs, Striking Hands, Vigilant Deaths, Masked Deaths, Dark Dooms, Dread Tyrants, and the Deep Mystery. Raya's long separation from the church has resulted in her being somewhat more powerful than most Banite clerics of her rank. Awakened: Raya's assumed position as an Awakened, or novice, of Lathander places her below any full priest of Lathander. As an Awakened, Raya answers to any and all Dawnbringers. Only the young apprentices rank below Raya. The rank of Awakened is similar to that of squire - higher than a page, but not a knight yet. Birthday: 16 Kythorn, 1353 DR (Year of the Arch). Born under the Sign of the Serpent and with Waning Selûne under the sign of the Stone. Those born under the sign of the Serpent have good memories and are articulate, strong willed and resourceful, emotional and enigmatic. They have quick responses and are prone to sudden mood changes. Those born with Selûne under the sign of the stone are complex, tenacious and fearless. Proud and independent, they have great strength of character and rarely compromise. They thrive on challenge and have an innate belief in their own destiny. OOC Information Goals: Raya desires to assist in uniting the Moonsea under Bane, destroy Zhengyi (both because he opposes the forces of Bane and because of Jaya's death in the Great Betrayal), discover the true fate of her sister (recent events and information from Baron Darkthorne suggests that a darker version of Jaya survived the Betrayal), and recover her immortality. Disclaimer: It goes without saying that the information on this page is OOC knowledge, and should not be considered common (or uncommon) knowledge. Category:PC